GGS Alumnus Ron Cohen Mann (ADP ‘17, oboe), a.k.a. oboeron, brings brightness and optimism to his personal brand of social media with his popular Instagram and YouTube channel. He has been hailed as the "Jonathan Van Ness of the oboe" (CBC Music) and proudly projects his queer identity as a role model for LGBTQ youth. Ron is a frequent recitalist, new music proponent, orchestral musician, and teacher based in Toronto. He was recently named on CBC’s 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30. In an exclusive interview with Sounds Like GGS!, Ron shares his top tips for young musicians seeking to stand out from the crowd by establishing a unique online presence.
Sounds Like GGS!: When did you first discover the oboe, and who were your icons/role models as a young performer?
Ron Cohen Mann: I first heard the oboe in band in Grade 7. I was playing the flute at the time and I heard the beautiful sound and was mesmerized. A year later, I brought my school’s oboe home and began my journey with the instrument. My musical idols included my first teachers, Roger Cole and Beth Orson, and grew to include many of the powerhouse players in the field including Eugene Izotov, Elaine Douvas, Katherine Needleman, Alex Klein, and the late Ray Still. I also drew inspiration from violinists and singers: in my first few years of playing, I attended incredible live performances by Rachel Barton Pine, Hilary Hahn, and Sumi Jo that shaped the way I view classical music.
Sounds like GGS!: As a young queer person, did you see yourself represented in classical music?
Ron Cohen Mann: I did not see that early on—it’s still uncommon for people to be open about it—so I am passionate about my own queer visibility.
Sounds Like GGS!: As an alumnus of the Yale School of Music, Mannes School, University of British Columbia, and the Glenn Gould School, what was unique about your time at GGS?
Ron Cohen Mann: I would say that the emphasis on masterclasses was the most unique element of my time at GGS. I think it’s fantastic that the school brings in several world-class players annually for the masterclasses. It’s a unique opportunity, and I’m grateful to have had the chance to play for Jonathan Kelly and Diana Doherty during my year at the school.
Oboeron’s YouTube Channel: The 4 Best Tools to Improve Your PRACTICE
Sounds Like GGS!: You've cultivated quite an online presence – what first inspired you to start your YouTube channel, and what impact would you say it's had on your career as a performer?
Ron Cohen Mann: At the start of the pandemic, I turned to social media to see if I could find a way to nurture my passion and keep playing. Creating a YouTube channel and Instagram following has helped me both through accountability to keep practicing and financially, providing a steady stream of student inquiries as well as passive income opportunities.
Sounds like GGS!: Is online teaching something you had experience with before the pandemic? If not, what helped to ease the transition?
Ron Cohen Mann: I had a bit of experience teaching online on Skype when I would be away from my students but I think that with the technological advancements available, online teaching is better than ever. I wrote a blog post on the subject which readers can access here: Online Teaching and Why I Think It’s Here to Stay.
Sounds like GGS!: What would your advice be for emerging musicians who are beginning to put themselves out there online? What are your website dos and don'ts?
Ron Cohen Mann: Musician websites these days are like putting a billboard in the middle of nowhere. Even the most thoughtfully designed site is useless if it doesn’t generate traffic or bring prospective students through a sales funnel. If you’re not on social media and you want to drive traffic to your website, start a blog. Blogs are great for generating keywords for search engine optimization. You could pair that with resources or print materials, so your website serves a function—it’s not just sitting there in the middle of nowhere with your contact information.
I would recommend building a social media following which can easily lead interested people to your website. I don’t think there’s such a thing as starting too soon. We’re all still growing and learning. There’s nothing that says you have to have an orchestra job before you make a social media page. There’s some thought out there that you can’t do certain things before X happens first: graduate from music school, get tenure, etc. I don’t think that’s the case.
Start sooner rather than later because right now the classical music niche on social media is still not saturated. It will be at some point and it will be really hard to break through the noise. Right now, there’s an opportunity. If I did it nine months, going from a personal account with a thousand followers to over five thousand, then it’s possible for anyone. Even if you’re in school you can learn a lot just by doing it, there’s a great accountability factor in making a page. You’re investing that time in putting out playing videos which at that moment are your best work.
To learn more about Ron, visit his website here.
